Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127665
:'M T C O S;<"Ons/i" ... . .SerieS·: Rou d2:P O O R S ..,. . .< n rairieCity OHV Park AMA1251250cc National Ch'ampI 1Jl:MOtOCioSS . ... . . .. . ish better than fourth, his bra ve ride was good enough to earn him second overall and maintain his lead in the series point standings. He now heads Kiedrowski by se ven p oi nts, 90-83, w ith third place a di stant 20 poi nts bac k. And who is it that ho ld s that third position? None other than John Dowd of Team Boyesen /Yamaha/Penske , the privatee r who won a muddy Ha ngtown Na tional three years ago and fi nish ed six th this ti me around . Followi n g him in the standings is another su rp rise, Team Noleen/Sizzler/Yamaha's Kyle Lewis, who turned in two outstanding rides for third overall at Hangtown. Lewis parlayed strong starts and intelligent riding into 4-3 moto finishes, and was fo ll ow ed b y teammate Larry Brooks in the o verall standings. (Left) Mike Kiedrowski celebrates as he crosses the finish line In the second 250cc mota. It was his second Hangtown win In a year. (Below) As his father Dave looks on, Damon Huffnian basks In the glory of his flrst-ever 125cc National win . By Chris Jonnum Photos by Kinney Jones and Donn Maeda RANCHO CORDOVA, CA, MAY I t the completion of the 26th Annual Dirt Diggers M.e. Hangtown Motocross Classic, Team Sp litFire /Hot Wheels/Kawasaki owner Mitch Pa yton and five -t ime Wo rld Motocross Champion Roger DeCoster sat . chewing the fat, when the conversation turned to a recent phenomenon that has taken place in National Motocross racing. "The 250 class is a support division," joked Payton of what is normally considered the premier category. "The 125 class is where all the talent is lately. It's so loaded with fast guys that it's easier to win in the 2505." Payton may have exaggerated slightly, but his comment does hold considerable merit, and the Hangtown results ),en! even more credence to the idea..'Iri ;A the 250cc class, just three factory-backed riders made the to p 10 in the overall results, and wi th two rounds complete, jus t three ho ld top-10 positions in the point standings. The class is essentially becoming a two-man show, with Team Kawasa ki rid ers Mike Kiedrowski and Mike laRocco schooling the rest of the field. The two split moto wins at Hangtown, with defending cham p Kiedrowski's more consistent 2-1 score giving him th e edge over Lakocco, the win ner of roun d one in Florida. . "Yeah! Two yea rs in a r ow," said Kiedrowski, referring to h is w in at Hangtown one year earlier. "It feels great. I rode at a good pace all day long." After winning the first moto , LaRoc,co was stricken by a mystery bug, which - despite the sunny Bo-degree weather sa w h im bundled in a pa rka in the Kawasaki semi between motes, With the heater on full-blas t. The 500cc National Ch a m p ion eme rged to contest moto two, and while he was too shaken to fin- FIfth on the da y went to yet another privateer, Southern California hot shot Tony Amaradio. The Kawasaki/Pro Circuit/Dirt Squirt/Xtreme /VP / Ren thaI/Dunlop /Ceet/Maxima-sponsored Amaradio had 10-7 moto finishes, capitalizing on m istakes by better-known riders to earn his position. Following Dowd in seventh overall was NCY/ Oakley / Xtreme/Sidi/Bell/ Troy Lee-backed Yama ha privateer Jeff Matiasevich, who crashed in the first outing but finished an incredible second in moto two. The top 10 overall were filled out by Team Suzuki 's Jimmy Button, Team Noleen/Sizz ler/Yamaha 's Larry Ward and Team Yamaha's Michael Ray Craig, who led both m otes in the early going. And what of Team Hond a /l-800COLLECT? The normally pow erful squad failed to score a single po int in the 250cc class, as Camel Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath (winner of the 125cc class last year) sat out the race with a banged-up knee and three-time class champion Jeff Stanton was thwarted by a scary moto-one crash that left him dazed and confused. While the 250cc class may have been short on potential winners, the 125cc divis ion seems loaded with talent, and has now seen four victors in as many motos this year. At Hangtown, the top honors went to Team Suzuki's Damon Huffman, who became the first rider in a long time to score an overall win at an AMA National while using conventional forks. With a set of massive Showa suspenders bolted to the front of his Tony Berluti-tuned RM125, Huffman worked through the pack to a fourth-